In doing these theme weeks (including the Bob Dylan Weekends) I’m frequently surprised by how prolific these artists were in their early years. It’s pretty much the norm to see albums released every year, sometimes two per year, for the first decade or so of these storied careers.

And then at some point a weariness must set in, or perhaps it’s a comfort level that comes with a certain degree of fame. And the albums slow down to one every three or four years, if that. Does the creative energy dissipate? Do record labels start pressuring established artists to build up anticipation between releases? Or is it something else?

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